simple stack with inexpensive webcam microscope

BugEZ · Post by **BugEZ** » Fri Feb 27, 2015 12:22 am

About a month ago I purchased an inexpensive webcam microscope for my travel camera bag. I was dubious that it was anything but junk and would be seldom used, but the price was low and it is light weight so I brought it along on my last trip. I really don't want to travel with any of my better objectives or the kit needed to do proper stacking. I thought it would allow me to see if there was an interesting subject (primarily fly eye patterning) that would justify more attention in the future.

Here is a link to the webcam microscope I purchased.

http://www.amazon.com/Plugable-Handheld ... microscope

I stayed "low end" as I thought if I liked it, it was not much money wasted to upgrade, and if it turned out to be junk ditto.

I discovered that it does a surprisingly good job for $35. It definitely allows me to screen subjects as I had hoped.

Here is a test stack I made of the bed-spread fabric. I collected the stack by putting the camera in a mode where it gathered a still image every 2 seconds, collecting 25 images total. I then manually adjusted the focus Knob to slowly sweep the focal plane through the subject as the images were gathered. I looked over the images throwing out a few from the beginning and end of the stack to just keep the ones where something of interest was in focus and allowed the stacking program (Zerene Stacker) to sort out the rest.

The results are not tremendous, but it shows great promise for a very simple hand held system. With a bit of practice...

Keith

BugEZ · Post by **BugEZ** » Fri Feb 27, 2015 11:30 am

Another simple stack (17 images) of an ironwood tree seed cone.

Charles Krebs · Post by **Charles Krebs** » Sat Feb 28, 2015 10:53 pm

Looks like a good travel companion.

BugEZ · Post by **BugEZ** » Sat Feb 28, 2015 11:34 pm

Thanks Charles,

I found it useful, but stacking is quite difficult...

This shows me trying to gather a stack on the night stand of a hotel room. I elected to go with single images. It was too difficult to scoot the microscope or bug and not rotate etc. And with the magnification I wanted, rotating the focus nob moved the microscope too much. I will revise my kit a bit for my next trip.

Here is one of the better single images... Basically, I can see a good bit of the fly's eye in reasonable focus. And it is great to have fresh specimens that have not been preserved in alcohol.

Without a more diffuse and omni-directional lighting (the built in lights don't provide much light from the side) I am not sure "stacking" would help much.

Keith Short